Clifford to appeal against sentence

Max Clifford has lodged an appeal against his sentence, it has been confirmed.

Earlier this month, the disgraced 71-year-old PR guru was jailed for eight years after being convicted of a string of indecent assaults, carried out between 1977 and 1984, using his celebrity connections to lure women.

Passing sentence at Southwark Crown Court, Judge Anthony Leonard told Clifford his personality and position in the public eye were the reasons his crimes were not revealed earlier.

Judge Leonard said: "The reason why they were not brought to light sooner was because of your own dominant character and your position in the world of entertainment which meant that your victims thought that you were untouchable, something that I think you too believed."

He added: "These offences may have taken place a long time ago, when inappropriate and trivial sexual behaviour was more likely to be tolerated, but your offending was not trivial, but of a very serious nature."

The judge said that due to the age of the offences Clifford was charged under an act from 1956, which set the maximum term for each charge at two years.

Under later legislation passed in 2003, the maximum term would have been 10 years, and for the worst instances would have been charged as rape or assault by penetration, which attract a maximum life term.

The former celebrity agent, who branded his accusers "fantasists", remained defiant ahead of his sentencing, saying: "I stand by everything I have said in the last 17 months."